Intellectual Freedom

The principles of intellectual freedom--the idea that a democracy is dependent
upon free and open access to ideas—are hallmarks of
the library and education professions. But librarians and teachers sometimes
face strong opinions regarding what material people think is appropriate
for children and teenagers to have access to in a school library, public
library, or classroom.

What does
that mean for librarians and teachers today? It means they must understand
the principles of
intellectual freedom, and also how those principles are applied in
the real world.
They must be willing
to acknowledge
their
own biases and fears and then move beyond them. And they must
be prepared to defend the rights of the children and teens for whom
they have a professional responsibility.

The CCBC specializes in in intellectual freedom issues as
they relate to children's and teens' access to materials in libraries
and classrooms:

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